Speaker Articles

Every day young women join the workforce and inevitably one day find themselves pondering the choice of a “career” or a “life.” I chose both! There are always exceptions, but I believe most of us have the opportunity to do the same. I am no expert, but rather a practitioner like you. As a technology executive, mother of two, wife, daughter and friend, I’ve been challenged to “balance” career, family, community and higher education while staying sane through it all! Read More →

Even people who like math can struggle with major financial decisions. “The problem is that many of us don’t have a simple mental framework for how to allocate our income, and absent it, we can’t tell if we’re going off the reservation,” says Manisha Thakor, director of wealth strategies for women at The BAM Alliance and co-author of On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl’s Guide to Personal Finance. She recommends putting 50% of your paycheck toward needs, 30% toward wants and 20% toward savings—a plan first suggested over 20 years ago by now-Senator Elizabeth Warren. Here, Thakor’s just-as-easy-to-comprehend take on five big money questions. Read More →

Turns out you don’t have to search long or hard for women’s stories of courage at work—especially when you have our contact list! We asked and were swamped with responses. Here’s the first installment of fear-defying deeds and what our speakers and friends have learned from them. Be prepared to be inspired. Read More →

Whether you just started a career or are three promotions into it, chances are you will be doing something different when you reach retirement age. “Career paths aren’t what they were for our grandparents and parents who climbed the ladder at one company or in one field,” says Jessica Bacal, director of the Wurtele Center for Work and Life at Smith College and author of Mistakes I Made at Work: 25 Influential Women Reflect on What They Got Out of Getting It Wrong. “Things are changing so fast now because of technology, that often, all you can do is build skills and follow your interests.” Make your next move smoothly with her advice. Read More →

If you want a bigger job but haven’t gone after it, or you dream of doing something entirely different but have stayed put, you’re not a coward. You’re only human. Fear is a protective mechanism, and whether it’s a fear of lions or the fear of failure, “it can feel so real we think we’re going to die,” says Vanessa Loder, a former investment banker who is now an executive coach, founder and CEO of Akoya Power and co-founder of Mindfulness Based Achievement. Here’s how to free yourself from the fear that’s holding you back from jumping, leapfrogging or otherwise bounding after your dreams. Read More →